How to Travel from Entebbe to Kampala

The best way to travel from Entebbe to Kampala is to take the express taxi (a shared minibus). The service costs 5,000-7,000 UGX (about $1.30-$1.90), depending on where in Kampala you’re going. This trip takes around 50 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes, depending on how long you have to wait for the taxi to fill up and traffic. 

If you’re traveling from Entebbe airport to Kampala, the most convenient option is to take an airport taxi. The official rate is 150,000 UGX (about $40). Uber is also available but there can be a long wait. The Uber ride costs around 120,000-150,000 UGX ($32-$40). The ride takes around 30-45 minutes depending on traffic and where you’re going in Kampala.

I’ve flown in and out of Entebbe airport about 5 times over the years. I’m also living in Entebbe currently so I make this trip pretty regularly. In this guide, I’ll explain how to do it step-by-step.

Mode	Uber/SafeCar from Airport	Taxi (shared minibus) from town	Private taxi from Airport
Travel time	40-50 minutes	50 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes	30-45 minutes
Cost (UGX and USD)	120,000-150,000 UGX or $32-$40	5000-7000 UGX or $1.30-$1.90	150,000 UGX or $40
When to use it	You have a bit of time to wait and you don’t want to negotiate with a taxi driver.	Traveling from Entebbe town to Kampala without luggage or if you’re on a tight budget.	When you want to get to Kampala fast

How I Make the Trip

When I’m making this trip without luggage, I always take the express taxi. From my home, I take a boda to the express taxi station. It’s located in the center of Entebbe, just across the road from Victoria Mall. You can likely walk there if you’re in central Entebbe.

From the taxi station, I catch the express taxi to Kampala. There are multiple taxis going to different parts of Kampala. For example, one goes to the Old Taxi Park in the city center. One bypasses downtown and goes to Kisaasi. 

The express taxi takes the Kampala Entebbe expressway. This is a toll highway between the two cities. It is well policed and well maintained.  

Make sure you take the express. The regular taxis take an older road and make lots of stops along the way. I took the regular taxi by mistake once and it took almost 2 hours to get home.

In my experience, the taxi drivers are honest. They don’t overcharge. It costs 6000 UGX to go to the city center and 7000 to go to the neighborhoods in the north of Kampala, like Kisaasi. They collect the fare at the beginning of the ride. They will make change but it’s best to carry small bills. 

Another nice thing about the express taxis is that they don’t overload them. They accept about 14 passengers. There is one passenger per seat. They don’t try to cram a 4th person in every row. The ride is relatively comfortable. It’s organized. It’s safe.  

These taxis operate all night but they will take longer to fill up. They don’t leave until they’re full. 

When you want to get out, you will have to tell the driver. There are no set stops. They just keep driving. Just let them know where you want to get out and they will stop.

Of course, you can also take this trip in reverse. You can find express taxis at the Old Taxi Park in downtown Kampala. You can also find Entebbe express taxis at Namungoona Roundabout.

How to Travel from Entebbe Airport to Kampala

If you’re traveling from the Entebbe airport to Kampala, you have a few options. You can take an official airport taxi, take an Uber or SafeCar (rideshare), or travel into Entebbe town and take the express taxi.

Official Airport Taxi

Taking an official airport taxi is the fastest and most convenient but also the most expensive option. There are always taxis ready and waiting so you can just walk out of the airport, load up your luggage, and go directly to your destination in Kampala. You don’t have to wait around or carry your luggage far. There are taxis right outside arrivals.

The official rate is 150,000 UGX. If they try to overcharge, you will have to negotiate. Be sure to ask the price before accepting a ride.

Uber

Taking an Uber is slightly cheaper but a bit less convenient. You may have to wait a while for an Uber driver to arrive. It could take an extra 15 minutes or so. The place where the Uber picks you up is also a bit further away. You could save $7-$9 this way. You also won’t have to negotiate.

There is also a service called SafeCar. You can book it through the SafeBoda app. It is slightly cheaper than Uber.

Express Taxi

If you’re on a tight budget, you can walk out of the airport until you get to the main road (Kampala Road). It’s about a 20 minute walk. From there, you can catch a boda (motorcycle taxi) to the express taxi station.

The boda ride will cost around 12,000 UGX ($3.20). Then you can catch an express taxi to Kampala. The whole trip will cost around $5. You may also need to take another taxi or boda when you reach Kampala to get to your final destination. That may cost another $2-3. This is the cheapest way to get to Kampala from the airport. This is what I did when I was on a tighter budget.

You would only want to do this if you’re traveling light. The taxis can tie a suitcase to the roof for a small fee of around 2000-3000 UGX but it would be a long walk from the airport to the road where you can catch a boda with a lot of luggage. You could also take an airport taxi to the express taxi station. That would cost around 30,000 UGX. This would be an option if you have a large piece of luggage and you want to save some money.

Shuttle

There is also a shuttle bus that charges 50,000 UGX. I have tried to take this bus on two occasions. Both times, they told me that I was the only passenger and that they would have to charge me 100,000 UGX so I just passed. I guess it’s not that popular. It’s called Pineapple Express, if you want to try it.

Traffic

On the Kampala Entebbe expressway, traffic is light. It’s a toll highway so some drivers avoid it to save money. There are 2-3 lanes in each direction. The taxi will cruise along at 100 km/h the whole way between the cities. 

If you decide to take Kampala Entebbe Road (the free road) for whatever reason, you could run into traffic. This could add 30 minutes or so to the trip. 

Entebbe is a pretty small city so there usually isn’t much traffic. It’s pretty organized. Drivers follow the rules of the road, more or less.

In Kampala, traffic can be an issue. Particularly in the evenings after 4-5pm, when people get off work. This can slow you down if you’re traveling to or from the city center. 

The express taxis going to the neighborhoods in the north of the city usually avoid traffic by taking the Northern bypass.

Final Thoughts

This is an easy trip to make. The distance from Entebbe to Kampala is only around 44km or 27 miles. There are taxis available at all hours. The road is safe at all hours of the day and night.

If you’re traveling from Entebbe town to Kampala, the express taxi is the best option. From the airport, taking an official taxi or an Uber is the best choice for most people.

For more in-depth info, check out my guide to Living in Uganda as an Expat. Also, check out my guide to taking the bus from Nairobi to Kampala.

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